Gusset accessory mount

ABSTRACT

An accessory mount is bolted to the upper ends of a pair of gussets secured to the rearward side of a blade of an off-road vehicle or the like.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/341,817, filed on Apr. 5, 2010, entitled GUSSET ACCESSORY MOUNT.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a gusset accessory mount and more particularly to an accessory mount which is secured to the gussets at the rearward side of an all-terrain vehicle blade. Even more particularly, this invention relates to an accessory mount which is secured to the upper ends of a pair of gussets which are secured to the rearward side of the blade. Even more particularly, this invention relates to an accessory mount which enables blade accessories to be secured thereto.

2. Description of the Related Art

Many types of blades have been previously described for an off-road vehicle such as an ATV, UTV or the like. Normally, a pair of horizontally spaced-apart gussets are secured to the rearward side of the blade such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,843,002 and 6,957,505. In both of the above-identified patents, which are owned by the assignee of the instant invention, an elongated bar or plate is secured to the upper ends of the gussets and have plurality of springs secured thereto which are secured at their lower ends to a hinge plate. In the above-identified patents, the horizontally extending bar is welded to the rearward side of the blade and is welded to the upper ends of the gussets. The bar which extends between the upper ends of the gussets has holes formed therein to receive eye bolts or the upper ends of the springs. The holes in the bar must be positioned so that they will correspond to the springs of the blade attachment such as disclosed in the above-identified patents. If a blade of a different manufacturer is desired to be used with the attachment of the above-identified patents, the holes of the bar may not be properly positioned to accept the upper ends of the springs of the particular blade attachment. Further, the bar which extends between the upper ends of the gussets in the above-identified patents is not designed to facilitate the attachment of blade accessories thereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summary is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

An accessory mount for a blade of an off-road vehicle such as an ATV, UTV or the like is disclosed with the blade of the vehicle having a right end, a left end, an upper end, a lower end, a forward side, a rearward side, a pair of upstanding gussets secured to the rearward side of the blade which have upper and lower ends, with each of the gussets having a laterally extending flange at the upper end thereof which have an opening formed therein. The attachment of this invention comprises an elongated horizontally extending bar bolted to the flanges of the gussets so as to extend between the right and left ends of the blade. In the preferred embodiment, the right and left ends of the bar are selectively removably secured to the right and left ends of the blade respectively.

The bar has a plurality of holes horizontally-spaced openings, preferably in the form of slots, formed therein. In the preferred embodiment, the bar comprises an elongated angular member which has an upper portion, with upper and lower ends, and a lower portion extending rearwardly from the lower end of the upper portion. The rearwardly extending lower portion of the angular member is bolted to the flanges at the upper ends of the gussets. In the preferred embodiment, the bar is positioned closely adjacent the upper end of the blade. The positioning of the bar with respect to the blade is such that a blade accessory may be secured to the bar. In the preferred embodiment, the blade accessory is secured to the upper portion of the angular member and may be a snow roller or the like. Preferably, the blade accessory is removably secured to the bar.

The bar may be used to support or have blade accessories secured thereto such as a light bar, etc.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an improved accessory mount for a blade of an all-terrain vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide an accessory mount in the form of a horizontally disposed bar which is bolted to the flanges of a pair of gussets secured to the rearward side of the blade with the bar extending between the right and left ends of the blade.

A further object of the invention is to provide an accessory mount of the type described wherein the right and left ends of the bar are selectively removably secured to the right and left ends of the blade respectively to stabilize the bar.

A further object of the invention is to provide an accessory mount of the type described wherein the bar has a plurality of horizontally spaced-apart openings in the form of slots formed therein so that the blade may be used with blade attachments or accessories of different manufacturers.

A further object of the invention is to provide an accessory mount of the type described which enables a blade accessory to be selectively removably secured thereto.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art blade attached to an all-terrain vehicle such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,002;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a prior art blade;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the bar or accessory mount of this invention;

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of a blade prior to the bar of this invention being attached thereto;

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the blade of FIG. 4 with the bar of this invention attached thereto and having a curved snow roller secured thereto;

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the blade of FIG. 5 with the bar attached to the top flanges of the gussets;

FIG. 7 is an end view of the blade with the bar of this invention attached thereto; and

FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view showing an accessory secured to the bar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Embodiments are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying figures, which form a part hereof and show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments. These embodiments are disclosed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. However, embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense in that the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.

In FIG. 1 a prior art off-road vehicle in the form of an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) is illustrated and is referred to by the reference numeral 10. Vehicle 10 includes a forward end 12, rearward end 14, right side 16 and left side 18. The numeral 20 refers to a prior art blade having a forward side 22 with the blade 20 being secured to the vehicle 10 by push tubes 24 and 26 and being secured thereto with blade attachment structure such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,843,002 and 6,957,505. The disclosures of the above-identified patents are included herein by reference thereto to complete the disclosure herein.

The prior art blade 27, as seen in FIG. 2, has a forward side 28, rearward side 29, a right end 30, a left end 31, an upper end 32, and a lower end 33. Normally, a wear plate 34 is secured or bolted to the lower forward end of blade 27 Blade 27 has a pair of gussets 36 and 38 welded to the rearward side thereof which have flanges provided at the upper ends thereof which extend laterally therefrom. A plate 40 is welded to the flanges of the gussets 36 and 38 and is welded to the rearward side of the blade 20. The plate 40 has a plurality of openings 42 formed therein adapted to receive the ends of springs 44.

The accessory mount or bar of this invention is referred to generally by the reference numeral 46 and is designed to be bolted to a pair of upstanding gussets 48 and 50 which have flanges 52 and 54 extending laterally therefrom either inwardly or outwardly with respect to the gussets. The flanges 52 and 54 are provided with bolt openings formed therein adapted to receive bolts 60 and 62 respectively. Gussets 48 and 50 are welded to the rearward side of the blade 20′.

Preferably, the accessory mount or bar 46 is in the form of an angular member having an upper end portion 64 and a lower end portion 66 extending at an angle therefrom. The angle of lower end portion 66 with respect to the upper end portion 64 will vary depending upon the configuration of the blade to which it is attached. Lower end portion 66 is provided with a plurality of horizontally spaced-apart openings in the form of slots 68. Preferably, a plurality of spaced-apart openings 70 are formed in the upper end portion 64 of bar 46 to enable blade accessories to be secured thereto or mounted thereon. The blade accessories may also be secured to some of the openings 68. Bar 46 is selectively removably secured to the flanges 52 and 54 by the bolts 60 and 62 extending through a pair of the slots 68 with the slots 68 enabling the bar to be secured to the gussets of the blades of various manufacturers.

One type of accessory which may be used with the bar 46 is shown in FIGS. 5 and 8 with the accessory being a snow roller 72 which is a curved flap positioned between the upper end of upper end portion 64 of bar 46 so as to extend upwardly and forwardly therefrom as illustrated in the drawings. The snow roller 72 is secured to the bar 46 by means of bolts 74 extending through the lower end 98 of the snow roller 72 and through the openings 70 in bar 46. Lower end portion 66 of bar 46 is provided with a pair of tangs 76 having openings 78 formed therein to enable springs or eye bolts to be secured thereto.

Thus it can be seen that a novel attachment in the form of a bar is disclosed which may be bolted to the upper ends of the gussets secured to the rearward side of a blade which may be used with an off-road vehicle such as an ATV, UTV, etc. The length of the bar 46 will be designed so that the ends thereof may be positioned closely adjacent the ends of a blade. Any convenient means is preferably used to secure the ends of the bar 46 to the ends of the blade to stabilize the connection therebetween.

The mount 46 of this invention enables various blade accessories to be mounted thereon such as a snow roller, light bar, etc.

Thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.

Although the invention has been described in language that is specific to certain structures and methodological steps, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific structures and/or steps described. Rather, the specific aspects and steps are described as forms of implementing the claimed invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended. 

1. An accessory mount for a blade of an all-terrain vehicle with the blade having a right end, a left end, an upper end, a lower end, a forward side, a rearward side, a pair of gussets secured to the rearward side of the blade which have upper and lower ends, with each of the gussets having a laterally extending flange at the upper end thereof which have an opening formed therein, comprising: an elongated, horizontally extending bar means bolted to the flanges of the gussets so as to extend between the right and left ends of the blade.
 2. The accessory mount of claim 1 wherein said right and left ends of said bar are selectively removably secured to the right and left ends of the blade respectively.
 3. The accessory mount of claim 1 wherein said bar has a plurality of horizontally spaced-apart openings formed therein.
 4. The accessory mount of claim 3 wherein at least some of said openings are slots.
 5. The accessory mount of claim 1 wherein said bar comprises an elongated angular member.
 6. The accessory mount of claim 5 wherein said angular member has an upper portion, with upper and lower ends, and a lower portion extending rearwardly from the lower end of said upper portion.
 7. The accessory mount of claim 6 wherein said rearwardly extending lower portion of said angular member is bolted to said flanges.
 8. The accessory mount of claim 1 wherein said bar is positioned closely adjacent the upper end of said blade.
 9. The accessory mount of claim 8 wherein a blade accessory is secured to said bar.
 10. The accessory mount of claim 7 wherein a blade accessory is secured to said upper portion of said angular member.
 11. The accessory mount of claim 9 wherein said blade accessory is removably secured to said bar.
 12. The accessory mount of claim 10 wherein said blade accessory is removably secured to said upper portion of said angular member.
 13. The accessory mount of claim 11 wherein said blade accessory comprises a snow roller.
 14. The accessory mount of claim 6 wherein a pair of spaced-apart tangs extend rearwardly from said lower portion of said angular member with each of said tangs having an opening formed therein to enable a spring to be operatively secured thereto. 